Takaichi, Trump Discuss Japan–U.S. Alliance, Plan Spring Visit During Call

Tokyo, The Gulf Observer: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held telephone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump late Friday, with the two leaders agreeing to make arrangements for Takaichi to visit the United States in the spring.

Speaking to reporters after the 25-minute call, Prime Minister Takaichi said she had extended her congratulations to President Trump on the United States’ 250th anniversary this year, adding that the discussion focused on strengthening the Japan–U.S. alliance.

“Given this significant anniversary, President Trump and I agreed that this year should be one that opens a new chapter in the Japan–U.S. alliance, further deepening the friendly relations between Japan and the U.S. and broadening our cooperation across a wide range of areas, including the economy and security,” Takaichi said.

She noted that President Trump had renewed his invitation for her to visit the United States and that both sides agreed to move forward with concrete arrangements for the visit in the spring.

When asked whether China’s recent large-scale military exercises around Taiwan were discussed, Takaichi declined to provide specifics, saying only that the two leaders had “exchanged views, focusing on the Indo-Pacific region, and confirmed close coordination … under the current international situation.”

The prime minister also said the two reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation with like-minded countries, including through Japan–U.S.–South Korea trilateral ties, while advancing efforts toward a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

China concluded its “Justice Mission 2025” military exercises around Taiwan on Wednesday, during which 27 rockets were fired, with 10 reportedly landing at sea within Taiwan’s contiguous zone, extending 24 nautical miles from the island’s shores, according to defense officials in Taipei. The drills were described as Beijing’s closest-ever live-fire exercises near Taiwan.

The exercises were the first of their kind since Takaichi’s remarks in November suggesting Japan could intervene militarily in a hypothetical crisis over Taiwan. Those comments led to a sharp rise in tensions between Tokyo and Beijing, with China demanding a retraction and taking a series of retaliatory measures against Japan.

China considers the self-ruled island of Taiwan a core national interest and regards it as a breakaway province that must be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Takaichi’s administration has maintained that her remarks did not signal a shift in Japan’s policy, stressing that dialogue with China remains an option.

While Japanese officials had hoped for strong backing from Washington amid the dispute and the recent military drills, the U.S. response has been relatively restrained. On Thursday, the United States urged China to halt military pressure on Taiwan, about two days after Japan and several Western countries voiced concern over rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

“China’s military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan and others in the region increase tensions unnecessarily,” U.S. State Department spokesman Thomas Pigott said in a statement, calling on Beijing to exercise restraint and engage in meaningful dialogue.

The statement marked the Trump administration’s first public response to the exercises. Despite being legally bound to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, Washington has taken a comparatively softer tone toward Beijing’s actions as it seeks broader engagement with China, including trade talks ahead of President Trump’s planned visit to Beijing in April.

Earlier this week, President Trump downplayed the drills, saying he was not concerned. “They’ve been doing naval exercises for 20 years in that area,” he said. “Now people take it a little bit differently.”